Kauto Star put down

Kauto Star: Two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner put down

Two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kauto Star has been put down after suffering a fracture to his pelvis following a fall.
The gelding won 23 of his 41 races, including five King George VI Chases.
The 15-year-old moved to dressage after retiring from racing in 2012.
His rider Laura Collett said: "Devastated to announce Kauto Star sustained injury in the field, with his best interest at heart a decision was made to put him to sleep."
BBC's horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght on Kauto
"A wide range of sports fans, not just racing's, will be saddened by Kauto Star's death.
"He took the lead role, with fellow Paul Nicholls-trained runner Denman, in a golden era, helping steeplechasing to, as they say, gallop off the racing pages and into the main headlines.
"Like so many athletes there were times when 'Kauto' was written off, and my favourite memory is when he bounced back in the 2011 Betfair Chase, sweeping aside his rivals at odds of 6-1.
"A final thought: how ironic that after walking away from some crashing falls on the course, it was one quietly in his paddock that brought about the end."
Owner Clive Smith told the Racing Post: "I am devastated. He had been turned out in Laura's paddock, as has been done normally with him at this time for years, and he looks to have jumped something, and stumbled, we're not really sure, but he injured himself - and it became obvious it was serious.
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Archive: On the gallops with Kauto Star
"The vets made him comfortable but the kindest thing was to euthanise him. It was a horrible moment. He was such a wonderful horse, but he did not suffer."
Paul Nicholls, who trained Kauto to his famous victories, tweeted: "RIP my friend, you were a true Legend. Once in a lifetime."
And 20-time champion jump jockey AP McCoy said:   "Sad news about Kauto Star the most complete chaser of the modern-era."
Ed Gillespie, who was in charge of Cheltenham Racecourse during Kauto's successes in 2007 and 2009, told BBC Radio Bristol: "I was at Paul Nicholls' yard yesterday and saw the plaques for winning horses - Kauto has an entire wall.
"Some of us are old enough to remember [three-time Gold Cup winner] Arkle. Kauto is the only horse you can talk about in the same breath as Arkle. Racing will be mourning today."
Kauto Star became the first horse to regain the Cheltenham Gold Cup after losing it to Denman in 2008, and also made history by winning a fifth King George VI Chase, on Boxing Day in 2011.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/33325618

Sad news indeed. My daughter is heartbroken, the 1st hoss she ever took an interest in..

A portfolio of Grade 1 victories over many distances that will never be matched , it was a golden era of steeplechasing.

Very sad news, appears to be a freak accident when turned out in a field.

RIP Kauto Star

A true National Hunt racing legend

This is weird in a horrible way. I just don't feel like working today (and before anyone gets funny, I love my job).

One of those 'punch in the guts' moments, that leave you angry, depressed and you can't figure out why, because he was 'only' a horse and whilst humans are more important, they often disappoint and this guy never did - even when he lost or fell - because it was his perceived weaknesses and his unstinting ability to overcome them, even into his autumn years, that made you love him all the more when he kept coming back and achieving so much.


Run free

Couldn't they have put him in to a drug induced coma, operated and kept him in the coma until his bones had healed.....the money could have been raised to cover it?

it would suffer to much

In a coma then he would not feel anything....they do it with people.

^ one report this morning said his neck injury was the worst or it complicated his other injury.  The accident happened a week ago but his condition became worse over the w/e.  Don't know any of this for fact, it's just what I read today, and in the end the kindest thing to do was put him to sleep so he wouldn't suffer.  Very sad indeed, he deserved a long happy retirement.

I suppose the vets know best.

Heartbroken here.

RIParadise Kauto Star.

heartbroken here too. fragile things horses.

if smith could have saved him he would have he's not short of money, class possibly, but not money

Hound-Dog-2    30 Jun 15 14:23 
^ one report this morning said his neck injury was the worst or it complicated his other injury

I read somewhere it was a broken pelvis.

Good post from rogerthebutler.

^

"Smith hailed his brilliant charge as "the complete racehorse" and explained it was the severity of the injury to his neck which made the decision to put him down inevitable.

He said: "The real injury that has caused the problem is a neck injury, at the base of the neck between C6 and T2 (vertebrae). It affects the spinal cord and in the end, it paralyses through the legs.

"When I saw him yesterday afternoon, he was lying there and I fed him some grass and stroked him and tried to spend the last few minutes with him.

"The decision had to be taken and there was no other course of action to take. Unfortunately he was not able to stand and then he had the pelvic injury."

Very, very sad.He was a reaol star.

Nothing worse that losing an animal you care deeply for, imo.